This was my first time using the spatchcock method to smoke a turkey and I have to say I WAS NOT disappointed! I have done this method with a chicken and was impressed with the results. Spatchcocking, or "Butterflying," a turkey allows the turkey to cook more evenly and in less time. This leaves you with juicy turkey meat and crispy skin. It is a little more work at first, but overall less cook time and the flavor is worth it!
You will want to make sure that your turkey is completely thawed before you decide to brine it. A well seasoned brine will enhance the flavor and you will be happy you took the extra time to do so. There are many different brines you can make, but I have given you my brine below.
BRINE:
Fresh Rosemary
Fresh Sage
Fresh Bay leaves
Fresh garlic
1/4 cup Black Peppercorns
1 cup Brown Sugar
2 Oranges (juice and zest)
8 cups Water
1/4 cup Molasses
2 cups Kosher Salt
Place all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Set aside and allow to FULLY cool off. Once the brine is at room temperature, you can place the brine and turkey in a container or bag of your choice, and put in the fridge. I have used ice to cool down my brine before, but be mindful that adding extra water (ie. ice) will dilute your brine. You can also use a cooler filled with LOTS of ice. Either method works as long as the turkey remains at a safe temperature.
A good rule is to brine your turkey for 1 hour for each pound. My turkey was 12 pounds so I brined the bird for over 12 hours.
After 12 hours in the brine, discard the brine. Then, I dried off the turkey with some paper towels and cut the backbone out. I have a YouTube video on how to do this.
Once the backbone is cut out, you need to turn the turkey over and flatten it by applying a lot of force with your hands. Imagine that you were giving the turkey CPR. This is also shown in the video.
After the turkey is flattened, you can place oil all over the turkey, place a thin layer of butter between the meat and skin, and season it with the rub of your choice. I used Rudy's Turkey Rub.
Set your Traeger to smoke and smoke the turkey for one hour. Then turn up the smoker to 225 until the turkey hits an internal temperature of 110 degrees. Crank up the heat to 350 degrees and cook until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees in the thickest part of the breast. This will give you the crispy skin that everyone loves. The turkey will continue to cook once taken off of the grill to reach the final temperature of 165 degrees. Allow to rest for at least 20 minutes before cutting to serve.